"Stage to the Cage" sees two of the UK’s top celebrities sacrifice everything to dedicate their lives to MMA. One of the biggest reality TV stars that the UK has ever seen, Jake Quickenden, will take on leading stand-up comedian, Paul Smith at the inaugural OKTAGON MMA event in the UK. Follow their 10-month long journey to becoming MMA fighters on CHANNEL 4, DAZN and OKTAGON.TV.
Both men have been fans of the sport for many years and are approaching the project with absolute focus and respect. For wider audiences to gain an insight into the beauty, skill and technique involved in MMA, Jake and Paul’s progress will be tracked in a multi-episode documentary so the general public can become invested in their stories and follow their progress from novices to fully-fledged professional fighters.
Quickenden, who has appeared on "The X Factor", "I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!" and ‘"Dancing on Ice" is a big mental health advocate and wants to increase awareness of daily challenges that many may be facing but do not feel they can speak up about.
Smith is donating his full fight purse to the "Weapons Down, Gloves Up" charity, a boxing initiative targeting young adults to get involved in combat sports.
The groundbreaking project "Stage to the Cage" concluded on November 4th 2023 at OKTAGON 48 in Machester. Fans in the AO Arena watched Jake Quickenden and Paul Smith make their professional MMA debuts under full unified rules, with Quickenden getting the best of Smith early on and securing a TKO victory.
